Pujols signs with the Angels

[JdashSTL]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/pujols-to-sign-with-angels/article_9181b070-21ae-11e1-93ef-0019bb30f31a.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball ... 0f31a.html</a>

Really didnt think he would leave STL. Dont like the deal at all. Way too long, but the only nice part about that is they can move him to DH eventually. This makes the AL West a lot more interesting.

 

[-X-]

Aw. I was hoping the Marlins would get him. It was the only way I was going to fight 20 hours of traffic and pay 80 dollars in tolls/parking.
Oh well - their loss.

 

[Angry Ram]

Damn man. Hopin he'd resign w/ the Cards and retire a Card.

This sucks. At least he didn't go to the Cubs.

The Cards should sign Prince Fielder now!!!!

 

[Memento]

To me, Pujols is just another ballplayer. He's no Rivera or Jeter; he's now lost the right to compare himself to those two.

 

[Yamahopper]

He did what was best for him and indrectlly for the Cardinals.

He can DH the last few years when his legs give out for the Angels and it will extend his career. That wasn't a option in the NL. He gets to play in a more media driven market and promote his brand. He will help the Angels land a big new tV contract and reach fans and markets that have been out of reach till now.

For the Cards I think there was a big sigh of relief when he signed elsewhere and in the AL to boot. His contract would have crippled the team for years.

His Projected future production. (zips).
Projecting Albert using ZIPs:

YR AVG OBP SLG HR RBI WAR
'12 .302 .388 .564 37 100 6.6
'13 .296 .383 .538 32 92 5.7
'14 .292 .376 .523 30 87 5.1
'15 .287 .366 .506 27 80 4.3
'16 .281 .353 .484 24 73 3.5
'17 .274 .341 .468 22 67 2.8
'18 .268 .328 .448 19 60 2.1
'19 .259 .314 .424 16 52 1.4
'20 .251 .298 .399 11 37 0.7
'21 .249 .291 .380 7 25 0.2

And that's if he is still a capable defender in the NL. If not his last few seasons would be even more diminished.

His replacements short term Craig and Adams long term have a much better WAR over him the next 10 years at a fraction of the cost.

This is a win for both sides.

That being said, He is the best player I have every seen play year in year out. A true complete player. A team player. I have seen maybe 1200+ of the games.

I thank him for all the great memories and thrills and wish him well in the future.

And it's always about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[brokeu91]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

 

[JdashSTL]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

I wonder how much it will take for Angels fans to believe this deal will be worth it. Consistent playoff contender and a WS title(s) in the next 5-7 years?

 

[classicpony]

THERE IS ONLY ONE STAN THE MAN!!

 

[DR RAM]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

 

[Memento]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

I think what he meant is this: Pujols was beloved in St. Louis. The media here was very kind to him, the fans adored him - and St. Louis Cardinal fans are as devoted to their superstars as teams like the Packers and Bears, the Maple Leafs and Habs, the Lakers and Celtics, etc. Angel fans know him as a future Hall-of-Famer who came as a free agent. The Cardinals drafted Albert, and a lot of us thought that he would be a Cardinal for life, like Stan Musial (who, by the way, is the single most iconic person in St. Louis history).

The fact of the matter is that he's in slow decline and he's had various nagging injuries. A permanent decline is bound to happen sooner or later, and I don't know if most Angel fans are going to tolerate that. As much as Albert does on and off the field, he's still only human.

And brokeu, I have to disagree entirely on the LeBron comparison. LeBron used a press conference to hype himself and talk about his decision to leave the Cavaliers, who were trying to build a winner. Albert never hyped himself up, and to our knowledge, he's still focusing on charities in St. Louis. He's proud and stubborn, but he isn't a narcissist like LeBron, who abandoned and spat on his hometown city. A more apt comparison to Pujols' departure (not his character) is Alex Rodriguez, in my honest opinion.

In my honest opinion, both sides (the Cardinals and Albert) got what they wanted. We shouldn't blame either side for this; it's business, not personal. Good luck to Albert and the Angels, and better luck to the Cardinals (hey, I have to support my team).

 

[DR RAM]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

I think what he meant is this: Pujols was beloved in St. Louis. The media here was very kind to him, the fans adored him - and St. Louis Cardinal fans are as devoted to their superstars as teams like the Packers and Bears, the Maple Leafs and Habs, the Lakers and Celtics, etc. Angel fans know him as a future Hall-of-Famer who came as a free agent. The Cardinals drafted Albert, and a lot of us thought that he would be a Cardinal for life, like Stan Musial (who, by the way, is the single most iconic person in St. Louis history).

The fact of the matter is that he's in slow decline and he's had various nagging injuries. A permanent decline is bound to happen sooner or later, and I don't know if most Angel fans are going to tolerate that. As much as Albert does on and off the field, he's still only human.

And brokeu, I have to disagree entirely on the LeBron comparison. LeBron used a press conference to hype himself and talk about his decision to leave the Cavaliers, who were trying to build a winner. Albert never hyped himself up, and to our knowledge, he's still focusing on charities in St. Louis. He's proud and stubborn, but he isn't a narcissist like LeBron, who abandoned and spat on his hometown city. A more apt comparison to Pujols' departure (not his character) is Alex Rodriguez, in my honest opinion.

In my honest opinion, both sides (the Cardinals and Albert) got what they wanted. We shouldn't blame either side for this; it's business, not personal. Good luck to Albert and the Angels, and better luck to the Cardinals (hey, I have to support my team).

No, I got that part of it, it's the saying that Angel fans would boo him that I don't get. Angel fans are not like that... at all. I agree, and know that he on the decline, I know he has some health issues, but the Angels really needed this type of marquee player, and that stadium will be rocking when he's hitting homers and winning games. I know, I can hear the fireworks that shoot off after every homer from my house.

 

[brokeu91]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

I don't know Angels fans, that's true. But I guarantee they will not love him the way he was in St. Louis and the way he thinks he deserves to be loved. Right now the Angels and their fans welcome him. But, what happens in 6 years when his numbers aren't nearly as good? He didn't spend 11 years with the Angels to build up a love and trust. Instead the Angels fans will be expecting an allstar for the next 10 years, and they probably won't get it.

Like Memento said, sports players, especially Cardinals players, are beloved in St. Louis. It's why they all move back there after they retire. I was born and raised in St. Louis, and I thought the entire country was like that. It wasn't until I leaved that I realized that it was just another thing about St. Louis that was different from the rest of the country. In St. Louis, Pujols had a life time of adoration, now he's going somewhere that will expect greatness (they certainly are paying for it) and I wonder what will happen when he doesn't deliver. In St. Louis he would be forgiven, people would bring up the home run he hit against the Astros in 2005 or the three homer World Series game and whatever angst they had would be gone. I doubt that happens in Anaheim. He's never built up that report, and it might be too late, because he has been in decline.

 

[DR RAM]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

I don't know Angels fans, that's true. But I guarantee they will not love him the way he was in St. Louis and the way he thinks he deserves to be loved. Right now the Angels and their fans welcome him. But, what happens in 6 years when his numbers aren't nearly as good? He didn't spend 11 years with the Angels to build up a love and trust. Instead the Angels fans will be expecting an allstar for the next 10 years, and they probably won't get it.

Like Memento said, sports players, especially Cardinals players, are beloved in St. Louis. It's why they all move back there after they retire. I was born and raised in St. Louis, and I thought the entire country was like that. It wasn't until I leaved that I realized that it was just another thing about St. Louis that was different from the rest of the country. In St. Louis, Pujols had a life time of adoration, now he's going somewhere that will expect greatness (they certainly are paying for it) and I wonder what will happen when he doesn't deliver. In St. Louis he would be forgiven, people would bring up the home run he hit against the Astros in 2005 or the three homer World Series game and whatever angst they had would be gone. I doubt that happens in Anaheim. He's never built up that report, and it might be too late, because he has been in decline.

He won't play through that contract, everyone knows that, but it's a little premature to call him a bust, or say that he won't deliver. Only time will tell that. Sometimes players get revitalized playing for new teams, so who knows. Sorry you lost him, sorry for him if he doesn't like it here, but he will be loved and respected regardless. We've had some colossal busts here, but the fans understand that sometimes it just works that way. St. Louis fans should know as much as anyone about the talent the Angels churn out, you've had many of them from our championship team join your team.

 

[superfan24]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Huh? You don't know Angels fans, I'm not sure who you are mistaking us for. He will be welcomed and loved.

I think what he meant is this: Pujols was beloved in St. Louis. The media here was very kind to him, the fans adored him - and St. Louis Cardinal fans are as devoted to their superstars as teams like the Packers and Bears, the Maple Leafs and Habs, the Lakers and Celtics, etc. Angel fans know him as a future Hall-of-Famer who came as a free agent. The Cardinals drafted Albert, and a lot of us thought that he would be a Cardinal for life, like Stan Musial (who, by the way, is the single most iconic person in St. Louis history).

The fact of the matter is that he's in slow decline and he's had various nagging injuries. A permanent decline is bound to happen sooner or later, and I don't know if most Angel fans are going to tolerate that. As much as Albert does on and off the field, he's still only human.

And brokeu, I have to disagree entirely on the LeBron comparison. LeBron used a press conference to hype himself and talk about his decision to leave the Cavaliers, who were trying to build a winner. Albert never hyped himself up, and to our knowledge, he's still focusing on charities in St. Louis. He's proud and stubborn, but he isn't a narcissist like LeBron, who abandoned and spat on his hometown city. A more apt comparison to Pujols' departure (not his character) is Alex Rodriguez, in my honest opinion.

In my honest opinion, both sides (the Cardinals and Albert) got what they wanted. We shouldn't blame either side for this; it's business, not personal. Good luck to Albert and the Angels, and better luck to the Cardinals (hey, I have to support my team).

I've heard some people just say that well Albert went for the big cash, but Lebron took less to go to what he thought was a winning team....and Albert's team just won the ultimate prize in his league.
I don't like LeBron and the way he handled his business and I've always had a lot of respect for albert and his charitable dealing even though I'm a Cubs fan :hehe:
Hope Prince will come to town now!!!!!!

 

[Angry Ram]

Overall, a bad deal for the Angels.

Look, I love Pujols and I wish he could have stayed. But, I won't like; I was actually secretly relieved that he didn't sign with the Cardinals.

Angels fans, you don't realize because you haven't watched him over the past 11 years, but he is actually in decline. Yes, he is still a good player, but even 5 years down the line, I'm not sure that will still be the case. Plus huge, long-term contracts almost never work out...A-rod, Soriano, etc.

I wish Albert luck, but I'm afraid that his best years are behind him. I'll always love him, but I wish he would have (and he should have) retired a Cardinal. I wonder how he'll react when Angels fans boo him, that never would have happened in St. Louis.

It really is a sad day for baseball when a player who was beloved, who played for the greatest fan base in baseball, and is already a bazillionaire leaves for extra money. Players like him were meant to play and retire with one organization. He really did just become the Lebron James of baseball. Fans around the country are going to eye him much more suspiciously, much like they did with LeBron.

Don't ever compare Albert to LeOverrated. LeOverrated is a narcissist and gets numerous passses despite having no titles 8 years into the league. Albert didn't get his own hour long special to announce he's signing with the Angels. He didn't say "I'm taking my talents to Southern California." He doesn't make stupid commercials mocking himself and making himself look even more douchey. Albert has 2 rings as a Card, and handled this with class through the entire season. It's a great storybook ending that he won a ring his last season as a Card.